David bowen



n. BOWEN.

SWITCH STAND.`

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID BO\VEN, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-FOURTH 'IO THOMAS B.PEAOOOK, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCH-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,526, dated August181, 1885.

Application filed June 1'7, 1884. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, DAvID BOWEN, of Topeka, in thecounty of Shawnee andState of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Switch-Stand, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to railway switch stands; and it has'for its objectto provide a stand having a separable construction of its parts, so thatthe operatingspindle and its connections to the shifting or bridle barof the switch-rails may readily be reached for repair or renewal; andalso to provide a mechanism for shifting the switch-rails, which shallbe protected in the base of the stand, and shall admit of a directparallel motion of the shifting-bar, and shall also afford a stronglateral bracing of the bar to prevent disabling of the switch by thedisplacement of the bar.

The invention consists in particular constructions of parts of the standand its interior mechanism and combinations of the mechanism with theshifting-bar and the switch-rails, all as hereinafter fully describedand claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of my improved switchstandand connections to the switch. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 isa sectional plan view at the base of the stand. Fig. el is averticalsectional eleva tion taken on the line x x, Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is adetail side sectional elevation oi' the head of the switch-stand.

The switch-stand casing consists of a baseportion, A, by which theentire stand and its mechanism is supported on the cross-tie, a een tralpost portion, B, and a head portion, C.

I make the base A in two principal parts, a part, A', to which the postB is rigidly connected either in the casting or otherwise, and a part,A2, which has a iiange, a, along the under side to engage the edge ofthe tie T, and a broad transverse backward extension-plate, a', whichlits a recess made in the bottom of the part A', and has also an edgeflange, a2, which is turned up along the back edge of the part A', andpreferably in an edge recess of Y the latter, as shown. The upper facesof the base-plates A' A2 lie in the same plane, so that the forked endD' of the connectingrod or bridle -bar D, which connects theswitch-rails to the shifting mechanism in the switch-stand, may rideevenly over the baseplates. I show the joints of the plates A' A2 asformed in a series of abutting square and angular edges, (see Fig. 3,)which, together with the lock of the ange a2 at both its ends and thelock of the flange a of part A2 in the bottom recess of the part A',hold the baseplates A' A2 together firmly and against end, movement oneon the other. The iit of the part A around the flange a2 of the part A2also holds the part of plate A2 which overhangs the tie I up trulylevel, where it is held by the weight of the parts A B and the head ofthe stand, and also by a number of bolts, lag-screws, or spikes, passedthrough the plate A into the tie. A flange, a2, rises from the outeredge ofthe base-plate A2, and a plate, A3, fitted on this flange and onthe plate or portion b of the post B which overhangs the inner arm, d',of the fork of the bar D, forms a removable cover, which is held toplace by screws a5, as shown. A rabbeted bead, c, on the cover-plate A2covers thejoint between the plate and the part b of the post B, (seeFig. 2,) so as to exclude rain or snow from the switclrshiftingmechanism set within the base of the stand. A slot, al, is provided ateach side of the stand, so that the bar D may pass either to the rightof the stand, as shown, or to the left of it; and I provide a coverplate or strip, a2, to be fastened by screws or otherwise over the slotnot occupied by the bar D,to exclude storms and strengthen theconnection between the base-plates A' A2.

.The head C of the switch stand consists of two main parts. The part C'is held to the top of the post B by screws e, entered through a pendentlug, c', formed on part C', and also by screws c2, which pass from theback of the stand through lugs b, formed on each side of the stand, intolugs ci, also formed on part C'. (See Fig. 5.) The part or cap O2 of thehead is held above thepart Osuliiciently to allow the arm E of theoperating-spindle G to have free play between the parts C' C2, and bythe same screws, c c2, which hold the part O to the post B. In holdingthe cap C2 to the IOO post B the screws c pass clear through the standfrom the front and into a iange, c4, which hangs down from the back edgeof the cap, and the screws c2 pass through the lian ge c4 into the lugsb c3 from the back, the screws c and cZ at each side of the spindle G ofthe stand thus serving to firmly hold the entire head C to the post B,and so that the head may readily be dismembered and removed at any time.

l The spindle G of the stand is journaled in a box formed half in a lugon the post B and half in the lug c of the head C for an upper bearing,and in a box formed half in a lug on the post B and half in a cap, b,screwed `to the post, for a lower bearing, and so that when the head Cand cap b4 are removed the spindle G, with its rigid arm E and lever F,may belifted from the stand without loosening the basefastenings of thestand to the tie.

The Operating-lever F is pivoted on a pin, f, to the outer end of thearm E, and so that when the lever hangs down vertically its end f willpass up into one of three slots, H, made in the top of the cap C2, and alug, f2, xed at a right angle to the lever F, will pass into acorresponding slot, 7i, made in the pendent flange h at the edge of thecap. The lugf2 has a hole through its outer end to receive the hasp of alock, a pin, or other fastening outside of the iiangeh, to lock thelever in any position at which it may be set in shifting theswitchrails. The hanging` lever F also passes into edge slots, h2, ofthe head-plate C, to more rmly lock the lever to place. StopV lugs orpins I are provided on either plate C C2 of the head C to limit the sideswing of the lever by contact of the spindle-arm E with them when thelever F is in position to lock into the slots Hh h2 at either side ofthe head C for holding the switch -rails to the turnout at either theright or left of the main track, as will be hereinafter described.

The spindle G projects above the head G of the switch-stand to receive asuitable light or other signal, and has a fixed collar, g, which restsabove its lower bearing and serves to support the spindle so that itsfixed horizontal crank arm, J, will swing in a true plane.

I connect the rod or bridle-bar D to the spindle G by means of a slidingblock or head, K, in which the wrist-pin at the end of the crank isloosely itted, and I place said block K loosely upon a cross rod or bar,L, which connects the two arms or members d d2 of the fork D of the barD. The ends of the arms cl d2 are bent to act by dat faces between therear shoulder, Z, formed along the back of the base of the stand and thefront iange, at, of the base of the stand, whereby the bar D will beguided laterally, so as always to move flat against the side face of thetie and through keepers M, fixed to the tie.

But one of the rails of the main track and right and left turnouts areshown in Fig. 2,-

but they sufficiently illustrate the action of the switch-stand.

By setting the lever F in the right-hand notch H the switch-rails N willbe moved to 7e connect with the rails O of the right-hand turnout, as inFig. 2.

By setting the lever F in the front notch H the switch rails N willalign with the maintrack rails l?, and by setting the lever F in theleft-hand notch H the switch-rails N will connect with the rails Q ofthe lefthand turnout.,

It will b'e seen that as the spindle-crank .T is swung around by thelever F the block K 8o slides along the rod L, and the rod or bridle-barD has always a direct motion parallel with the -f tie, and the bar D isheld sidewise or latwise so irmly in the stand and along the tie and inthe keepers M that neither the bar nor the'85 switch-rails can bedisplaced or shifted by driving vehicles over the bar, which has nojoints of any kind between the rails and the switch-stand; and by theseparable construction of the stand all. the parts are readilyaccessible for repair or renewal when required.

An oil-hole is provided at o in the cover A3, through which the bearingsof the block K on the bar L and of the crank wrist-pin in the block maybe lubricated when required without removing the cover.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A railway-switch stand having a base, A, formed with two parts, A A2,and the part A2, which overhangs the tie, having a flange-plate, c',extending beneath and in a recess of the part A', on which the upperportion of the stand rests, substantially as shown and described.

2. A railway-switch stand constructed with its base A formed with twoparts, A A2, said part A2 having a flange-plate, c', iitted in a bottomrecess of the part A, and an upturned iiange, a, fitted in an edgerecess of part A, and a rib, a, adapted to engage the edge of thesupporting-tie, substantially as shown and described,

3. A railway-switch stand constructed with its base A made in two parts,A A2, and a removable cover, A, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the post B and the spindle G, its arm E, andlever F, of the head C, made in separable parts C C2, fastened to eachother and the post B, and so as to form IOO - upper bearings for thespindle G, substantially IIO I 6. The combination, in a switch-stand andl 8. The combination, with the switchstand with the spindle G, having anarm, E, lever and its spindle G, having an operaling-lever, F, and crankJ, of Ishe head C, made in sepaand crank J, and the sliding block K,androd 15 rable parts C G2, fastened to each other and to L, of theconnecting-rod D, forked. at its end 5 the post B to form upper bearingsfor the spin- Within the stand and bearing by opposite faces dle G andthe lower removable half-bearing of its arms d cl2 on guide faces orbearings la", or boX,1b4,substantially as shown and described.substantially as shownfand described.

7. T 1e combination, with the switch-rails l N, the connecting-bar D,and the spindle G, DAVID BOVEN' 1o having a lower crank-arm, J, of thesliding Vitnesses:

block K and rod L, subsfantially as shown and l J. A. HIOKEY, described.W. M. HEss.

